Model 21 barrel steel

[Rick Riddell]

I bulged a Beretta 302 modified barrel shooting #4 steel shot, so yes it does happen. Moly chrome barrels. It's your gun shoot the hell out of it, but if you bulge or pop the rib, well its lesson learned! Its not the blown pattern you have to worry about. Take the wad and shot out of a shell, fill the wad with the shot and epoxy, when it dries drop it down your barrel and try to push it out of the muzzle, betcha cant get it out through those Winchester full chokes, then imagine what it will do with 10,000 PSI behind it.

[TxHuntermn]

Originally Posted by Rick Riddell

I bulged a Beretta 302 modified barrel shooting #4 steel shot, so yes it does happen. Moly chrome barrels. It's your gun shoot the hell out of it, but if you bulge or pop the rib, well its lesson learned! Its not the blown pattern you have to worry about. Take the wad and shot out of a shell, fill the wad with the shot and epoxy, when it dries drop it down your barrel and try to push it out of the muzzle, betcha cant get it out through those Winchester full chokes, then imagine what it will do with 10,000 PSI behind it.

Understand that I am not arguing....im asking. thanks for the advice

[Steve Hodges]

Mark, i am certainly no expert in this but my inclination is to not shoot steel through that nice gun. No need to really with all the good non-toxic alternatives today. I would buy some Kent Bismuth and shoot away with no worries.

[TxHuntermn]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hodges

Mark, i am certainly no expert in this but my inclination is to not shoot steel through that nice gun. No need to really with all the good non-toxic alternatives today. I would buy some Kent Bismuth and shoot away with no worries.

It was really sort of a rhetorical question, since I have been feeding my very early Parker lifter 10 RST Bismuth at $3.00 a copy, it is not the economics.

I agree about tempting fate!

[Scott Smith]

Mark, If I were you I would NOT shoot steel through those barrels!

[Drew Hause]

Winchester Proof Steel is indeed Chrome Moly 4340 or 4130 and was introduced in 1931 for the Model 21 and reported to have a tensile strength of 115,000 - 120,000 psi with an elastic limit of 105,000 psi.

https://books.google.com/books?id=9S...YC&pg=PA57&lpg
The "Violent Proof" (VP) load was reported to be 7 1/2 (long) tons = about 24,000 psi by Burrard's conversion

Steel target loads have a thick shot cup and I would certainly use them in a M21 with no more than an IM choke. Sadly more gun clubs are being forced to convert to non-tox only ie. Naperville (Ill.) Sportsman's Club and some in CA